Residents urged to find out more about bugs

Every two years, the Royal Entomological Society organises the week and it is supported by a large number of partner organisations with interests in the science, natural history and conservation of insects.

Wildlife enthusiasts are urging Loughborough residents to learn more about the importance of creepy-crawlies as part of an awareness week.

National Insect Week, running from June 20-26, encourages people of all ages to learn more about all bugs great and small.

Every two years, the Royal Entomological Society organises the week and it is supported by a large number of partner organisations with interests in the science, natural history and conservation of insects.

Ruth Godfrey, of Whitwick, is the education officer at the University of Leicester’s botanic gardens.

Ruth often works with schools from Loughborough to talk about the importance of caring for nature and insects.

She said: “Insects are so important in nearly all types of food production, so if people learn about them, they learn about how they impact our lives everyday without knowing it.

“We need to protect the environment and looking after insects is part of that.”

There are more than 24,000 species of insects in the UK and they can be found in almost every habitat - especially in somewhere as wildlife friendly as Loughborough.

Loughborough University has it’s very own sustainability team that is committed to enhancing and protecting biodiversity on campus.

The university has it’s own apiary, at Holywell Park, with 80,000 honeybees, more than 200 varieties of moth on the estate, and even 16 varieties of hoverfly.

And it’s not just the university that’s nuts about nature, Loughborough Naturalists’ Club has been promoting the study and recording of wildlife in Charnwood Forest and the surrounding areas since the 1960s.

President of the club, Peter Gamble, is eager for more people to take an interest in nature and is hoping National Insect Week may encourage more people to embrace mini-beasts.

He said: “Every living thing plays an important part in our way of life. We have a lot of specialists at our club that know all about different species of insects and there’s a lot to learn.

“I believe everyone needs a certain knowledge on invertebrates and wild living things and the more people that show an interest in the area, the better.”